Clinic introduction
Advice from a naughty teacher
Causes of common colds
1. Streptococcus
Streptococcus is a type of bacteria that mainly infects the throat and causes pharyngitis. Fever, sore throat, and sometimes a rash on the body and hands and feet, and a red tongue with bumps on the surface that look like strawberries. It is a disease that spreads to humans through contact with drool, coughing saliva, runny nose, etc. Pharyngitis itself is not a serious disease, but if left untreated, kidney disease (glomerulonephritis) or heart/joint disease (rheumatic fever) may occur several weeks later. It will need to be treated with drugs. In addition, it is possible that family members who live with you may be infected, so even if you are asymptomatic, it is recommended that you visit your family doctor and have a throat test. Even after being infected with this bacterium once, you may be infected again, so please gargle and wash your hands on a daily basis to prevent infection.
2. Adenovirus
Adenovirus is a type of virus that mainly infects the throat and causes pharyngitis. In addition to cold symptoms such as fever, runny nose, cough, and sore throat, high fever (38.5°C or higher) may continue, and flu-like symptoms such as chills, headache, and muscle pain may occur. In addition, the bulbar conjunctiva (shirome) becomes congested, and yellow eye mucus appears. It is also called ``pool fever'' or ``summer cold'' because it is sometimes epidemic in the pool in the summer, but it can be transmitted by droplets even if you do not enter the pool. Unlike strep throat, antibiotics do not work for colds caused by adenovirus, so you have to wait for them to heal naturally. For this reason, as symptomatic treatment, 3-point cooling therapy for fever (see Mama's first SP) and hydration to prevent dehydration are necessary. In addition, even after being infected with this virus once, you may be infected repeatedly, so please gargle and wash your hands on a daily basis to prevent infection.